Larry Schnackenberg found alive on Shawnee trail

SHAWNEE, Kansas - A missing Lenexa man who was found Wednesday wandering a Johnson County walking trail has been reunited with his family.

Larry Schnackenberg had been missing since July 8 when Johnson County park safety aid Rick Reynolds found him walking along Streamway trail near Johnson Drive and Barker at approximately 2:20 p.m.

A Lenexa police spokesman says they suspect Schnackenberg chose to disappear. Family members say Schnackenberg still hasn't explained to them what happened.

Reynolds told NBC Action News that when he found Schnackenberg while riding his patrol bike, he knew immediately it was him. Reynolds and his son have known Schnackenberg for 15 years.

"I told him it was a good day and there would be a lot of people in the city happy that he was found," said Reynolds. "He was real concerned about his family. I told him that they would be a lot better now."

Schnackenberg was found disoriented and dehydrated; Reynolds said Schnackenberg had lost weight and had lots of bug bites.
He was taken to Shawnee Mission Medical Center for evaluation.

“The family is grateful for all of your prayers and positive thoughts over these past 20 days and are thankful for this miracle,” a family spokesman said late Thursday morning in a statement issued by the hospital.

"This was the ending they were hoping for," hospital spokeswoman Shannon Cates said Wednesday evening.

There were still a lot of unanswered questions about what had transpired over the previous 20 days.

“The Schnackenberg family and the Lenexa Police Department would like to thank the community for the heartfelt concerns and efforts to locate Mr. Schnackenberg," Lenexa Master Police Officer Dan Friesen said Wednesday in a prepared statement. "We are happy to inform you of this positive outcome. At this time, the family is attending to Larry’s medical needs. During this time of reunion please respect their privacy."

More than 500 people searched Shawnee Mission Park after he disappeared about three weeks ago. A Facebook page was created in search for Schnackenberg. Then divers searched Shawnee Mission Lake but found nothing.

Schnackenberg's son David spoke to the media this afternoon. NBC Action News is working to post the entire news conference right here on NBCActionNews.com. Check back for updates.

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